Rumors
by Kitkatgurl
Summary: Rumors fly about Abby, but do they know more then she does?


**Chapter 1**

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**_AN: I'm a new author and this is my first fic. I'm pairing up with a buddy of mine who introduced me to this site. I love ER and would love to see this happen. It's just an idea I got. Here's what you need to know:  Carter has been back from the _****_Congo_****_, for six months. He and Abby got back together and he has recently asked Abby to marry him.  She has accepted._**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

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Abby yawned as she walked through the crowded lobby and headed to the staff room.  Throwing her things into her locker, she saw some black spots and rested against the locker to get her bearings.  When her vision cleared, she shook her head and closed her locker, putting  the dizziness off as lack of sleep.  Leaving the room, she didn't notice Frank grinning in the background over his coffee.  She walked out and immediately ran into Chen Mai. 

            "Oh, Hey Abby, congratulations to you and Carter.  By the way, when's he getting home?"

            "Oh, he'll be at his dad's till Thursday."

Moving on, Abby headed to admittance to check out her charges. Upon arriving, Luka looked up and smiled a greeting and roled his eyes at the phone in his hand.

Abby smiled back knowing, once again, he was on hold.  

"Can you help me with a patient?" Pratt asked. "It's a little girl and she's afraid of needles."

"Are you sure she needs blood work?" Luka interjected.

Pratt rolled his eyes and the two walked off, leaving Luka stranded on the phone. He looked as if he was going to add something more, but it appeared that the person on the other end of the line returned.  

Arriving in exam 2, Abby offered the little girl a warm smile.  She looked so tiny and scared in the stark white sheets.  

"Hey, little one.  Dr. Pratt said that you're not too happy with the needles," Abby said approaching the child.

The little girl pouts and shook her head with determination. "They really hurt."

Abby crouched down beside the bed. "I know they hurt, and I don't like them either, but sometimes we have to take some of your blood, so we can know if there's anything wrong with you. And if we know what's wrong, we can make you better. You do want to feel better, right?"

The little girl nodded.

            "Here's an idea," Abby said, motioning to Pratt to step in and take her blood. "Have you ever listened to your own heartbeat?"

            The little girl shook her head.

            Abby smiled, taking the stethoscope off Pratt's neck and fitted it onto her patient's small head. She then held the other end onto the child's chest. "Can you hear it?"

            The girl's face lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. 

            "Can I listen to your heart beat?" The little girl asked.

            Abby nodded, smiling. "Of course." She moved the stethoscope over to her own chest."

As Pratt finished, he smirked at the sight and nudged Chin Mai, who had just walked in and the two shared a knowing glance.

"That is so neat," the little girl giggled, "but do I still have to have my needle?" 

"Nope, it's all finished, hun" Abby said, ruffling the girl's hair affectionately.

Heading back to admin, Abby was intercepted by Gallant.

"Oh, Abby I need a hand with my flu patient."

"Oh yeah no problem…..Just a sec." Abby said as she took off running towards the nearest washroom, her hand covering her mouth.  She emerged a few minutes later, her face pale.

"That's weird. I felt ill yesterday, but it went away. I thought it was over, but I guess I was wrong."

"Are you ok to help with this patient?" Gallant asked.

Abby nodded, "Just let me grab a bottle of water, and I'll meet you in exam 1."

Frank returned to the desk smiling, after watching Abby leave the washroom.

"Hey, Abby. I'm going across the street for some take-out.  Do you want anything?" Susan asked later that day.

"Yes please, I'm starving and I haven't had a break yet."

"What do you want?"

"A hamburger would be great." Abby said, pulling a ten out of her pocket.

"What do you want on it?" Susan asked

"Let's see; pickles, onions, lettuce and mayo… Oh and some hot peppers."

"Hot peppers?" Susan inquired raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I just have a craving."  She shrugged, handing Susan the money.

"Anything to drink?"

"Sure, how about a chocolate shake."

Abby grabbed a file and put it down on the desk in front of her.  She had been meaning to check the stats of one of her patients.  One of the other nurses walked by and placed another chart on top. Abby put her left hand down to catch it.  

"Weaver wants you to take this patient to radiology."

Abby looked down and smiled, as a beam of light reflected off the diamond ring on her finger.  Frank, standing off to the side behind her, noticed and turned to Pratt. He motioned to Abby and the two shared a smile.

At the end of the shift, Abby met Susan in the locker room, just arriving.

"So when's your next shift?" Susan asked.

"Tomorrow morning" Abby groaned, "I hate morning shifts."

"Isn't that a lot for you?"

"Nope, tomorrow I'm not a nurse, I'm on rotation tomorrow."  

"Oh, that's not what I meant.  I mean, that's a lot of hours for you."

Abby shrugged "I'm a little tired but nothing serious yet."

The following morning Abby arrived feeling exhausted and, once again, met Susan in the staff room.

Glancing at the empty coffee machine Abby let out an exasperated sigh.

"Why is there never any coffee when you need it."

Susan looked up and said. "You know you really shouldn't have any. It's not good for you."

Abby, noticing the full coffee cup in Susan's hand, went to say something, but bit her tongue. "Why are you working today, anyway. I thought you were off."

"I was supposed to be, but Chen called in sick."

"Oh that sucks."

Both women left the staff room; Susan walking towards admin, Abby running towards the bathroom, which didn't go unnoticed.

At Lunch, Abby found herself alone in the staff room.  She glanced up as the door opened and offered Weaver a smile.

"How are you feeling?" Weaver inquired.

"Not too bad, the day's been pretty slow."

"I was going to wait till Carter got back, but I want to congratulate you on the baby." She said with a smile.

Abby choked on her lunch. "B-Baby?!"

"Oh, Um sorry." Weaver stammered, looking down at Abby's array of fries swimming in ketchup, mayo and gravy. "I'm so sorry. I thought…I heard.. I'm sorry.  I'm so embarrassed. It must have been somebody else." Weaver rushed out of the room before Abby could comment.

Abby glanced down at her stomach and went back to eating.

Later that day, Abby found herself observing at the OR.  Once the surgery was over, Corday approached her.

"Hey Abby did you learn much from the surgery?"

"Yeah, I guess, sorry I was a bit distracted.  I'm feeling under the weather."

Corday smiled at her knowingly. "Yeah pregnancy can do that to you."

Abby was silent for a few seconds. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" She finally said.  "Weaver said it, one of the triage nurses said it, even an old lady, whose arm I was stitching up said something." She looked down at her stomach. "Have I really put on that much weight?"

"Oh, no, you don't look any different, Frank may have mentioned something…" Corday said right before her pager went off and she was forced to rush off, leaving Abby standing there flustered.

"Frank!!" Abby yelled, stalking down the hall towards admin.  "I have a bone to pick with you.  Can you tell me why everyone in this hospital seems to think I'm pregnant?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you not want anyone to know?"

"No, I didn't, because it's not true and even if it were you have no right to tell anyone anything about my personal life. Where the hell would you get such an idea?"

"Oh, so you're not pregnant?" Gallant, who had just come in for a file, asked.

"AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH."  Abby stalked out, but was intercepted by Luka and Susan, who were wheeling a violent patient down the hall.  They were forced to stop the cart, struggling to put restraints on him.  Abby joined the fray, trying to be of assistance.  In the struggle, Abby took a kick to the stomach. She immediately felt violent pains erupt in her stomach. Gasping, she collapsed to the floor, loosing consciousness.

Struggling to open her eyes Abby became aware of the familiar sounds of the hospital.  There was the beeping of the heart monitors, the pulsating of the oxygen level monitors, but there was something else as well.  She heard a consistent thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump, filling the room.  

'That's weird' she thought in her semiconscious state. 'That's really fast for a heartbeat.'  She was finally able to open her eyes and after blinking several times was able to make out Susan's smiling, but concerned, form crouched beside her.

"Abby are you feeling okay?" Susan asked.

"Yeah…my stomach…" Abby stammered, having difficulty explaining the pain she was experiencing.

Susan smiled. "We've already run some tests, don't worry, the baby's fine."

It was then that Abby noticed the cold, sticky, feeling on her bare stomach. She immediately realized Susan was holding an ultrasound to her stomach and the screen attached to it showed a very recognizable sight.

She lay there, gaping unbelievably between the screen and Susan.

**_AN:_****_ So, how do you like it? It's our first time pairing up together, and our first ER fic. We hope you like it and we hope to have the next chapter up ASAP. _**


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